Spellbreakers

Chapter 1

Begin day at England’s Tavern with Olaf and Ander
Near the city of Scornubel
Located ~5mi from Triel on tradeway

Run into oldman @ England’s (~50-60yo) Starag
Claims to be an ex Spellbreaker quartermaster.
Never saw combat and is eager to fight.
Has a book from the Runic Eye
Heard word that a “Spont” has popped up in a village near Triel’s Elbow

Triel is ~15mi away

The team ventures off to Triel’s “Elbow”; Ander, Olaf, and Starag.

On our way, we saw two figures standing near an ancient obelisk, a local, known ruin. Ander looked for cover to get a good line of sight while Olaf and Starag walked up slowly to get a better look. As we neared them, we made them out to be 2 Kenku bandits, a fowl bird-like humanoid race, commonly professed in banditry and their dog, looking aggressively in our general direction. Olaf inquired about their activities only to be mocked by the two Kenku. As Olaf’s words ricochet back, out of no where, without being provoked, taking direction from nobody, extremely eager, Starag runs forward to shiv his opponents and he connects. The first takes damage from his dagger. Then an arrow screams by ending the life of the first Kenku. Suddenly, Starag grows weary and decides to slit the throat of the dog, letting it bleed out. The second Kenku takes a hammer blow and is rendered lifeless.

The team ventures on, finally getting to a small town near Triel’s Elbow, only 3 buildings in sight. It looks lifeless. Upon further inspection, the group of adventures learns the largest building is the Wistful Day Pub. They proceed cautiously inside, Ander hiding in the shadows while Olaf goes behind the bar hoping to distract. Instead of grabbing a drink, Olaf finds a Halfling asleep behind the bar. Not impressed, Olaf pours a little bit of whiskey on the little guy to wake him up; and how!

Osborn springs to life. Turns out it is his bar and its dry season. The whole town is out to the fields to farm. Not a soul in sight. The adventurers inquire about the town, its people, and leave to investigate the other two buildings in town. The first, Ander sneaks in and tests the floor. He finds it to be entirely insecure, probably can’t hold his weight, but he proceeds regardless (“Physics? That’s blasphemous magic where I’m from!”). As the ground rushes up towards Ander, he manages to use his acrobatic nature to land on his feet, minimizing any damage he would have received if he were slightly more clumsy.

A chest! Unsure if poison or gold, Ander goes for it. The basement is dusty and undisturbed, but he manages to find a backpack full of gold, gems, and smaller currency. Still no Spont.

The three make their way to the 3rd and final building in the village. Again, it looks deserted. And again, Ander goes in to test the floor. This time, sturdy. They proceed into the structure, but notice that this one has been disturbed more recently than the other. Within weeks even.
With their magical detection skills, they notice charred scratch marks streaked across the floor. Evidence of magic no doubt. The building is an old warehouse. It once held military equipment, but only a few items remain.

Perplexed, the three venture back to Wistful Day to talk to Osborn once more. They find out that a boy is, in fact, missing from the town. His name is Anton Coolenov. The adventurers suspect foul play. Weeks ago. And that an elf came through these parts around the same time. Olaf thinks, why didn’t we ask this before? Is this boy the Spont?

Osborn adds that he was alone, by himself, just being a Halfling, alone, in the woods just days ago. He saw what he thought were Pixies, magical creatures, and immediately ran out of there back to the tavern. The woods are North East ~10mi away, and 2mi more to the East is where he camped.

The three make their way through the forest, but not before spotting a house. Suspicions rise, but for what reason? The adventurers care not. They then spot 2 beings with a torch behind the house shushing each other. Suspicious. Ander has a great plan. He suggests they try to impersonate Navy officers, looking to recruit younger folk. Maybe Anton is in this house being held against his will?

Again, Ander sets up for his line of sight as Olaf proceeds up to the door. He knocks, disturbs a man and his family during their dinner for some time, and then rudely gets the door closed in his face. Defeated, he steps down and Ander comes up to meet him and Starag. The unimaginable happens (I forgot what happened) and the adventurers find themselves in a chase!

Olaf dashes up to the strangers and attempts to knock them down with his shield, but they dodge! The two shoot back with crossbolts, firing and missing, bolts soaring right over Ander and Olaf’s head. More attacks on both side miss. Starag manages to find a flock of birds and they distract him for a moment before rejoining the chase. Finally, Ander stays back to steady a shot. A direct hit to the legs. Wounded and immobile. Olaf pursues the second one, swings his hammer with such force, it was thought to have sheared both of this guy’s legs right off. Turns out it was just a major fracture.

The adventurers try to interrogate the strangers but to no avail. Olaf kills the suspected magic user with his hand axe as Ander puts the second out of its misery.

They finally www.stumbleupon.com the campsite Osborn told them of. They search his backpack and, to their luck, they find a journal! Upon inspection, nobody can understand what is written in it. It was in such bad condition that they couldn’t even discern which language it was written in. With no additional clues as to why Osborn fled the area, the team moves on. In the distance Ander notices 3 blue lights hovering; and then gone. Again they appear, moving around. These must be the Pixies, they thought. Turns out they’re Sprites; forest protectors.

The adventurers find their way to a circular area where these Sprites are coming into and out of the normal (?) plane. 3 of them attack, two are killed by pinning them to trees nearby with arrows. A third takes an obliterating blow from a warhammer.

All but Olaf disengages in combat, but Olaf has seen tricks like this before. Sure enough, 4 more Sprites appear. 3 are dealt with easily, but the fourth takes to the sky and turns invisible. Ander, following the creatures momentum shoots a blind shot into the sky, Starag thinks this is futile, but sure enough, the expert marksman takes down the creature, regaining its visible properties as it hits the forest floor dead